Stamp-canceler.



R. E, WALL. STAMP CANCELER.

. APPLICATION FILED JULY 1 1913- 1,134,652. 7 Patented Apr. 6, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

R. E. WALL.

STAMP CANCELER.

APPLICATION HLED JULY 1, 1913. r 1,134,652. Patented Apr. 6, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

ROBERT E. WALL, or WILSON, NORTH CAROLINA.

ST'AMP-CANQELEE.

Specification of Letters Patent;'

Patented Apr. 6', 191 5.

Application filed. .Tu1y 1, 1913. Serial No. 776,824.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, ROBERT E. WALL, citizen of the United States, residing at Wilson, in the county of Wilson and State of North Carolina, have invented certain new and useful Improvements, in Stamp-Cancelers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in canceling-stamps and the primary object thereof is to provide a simple, compact and efficient device of this character whereby postage, revenue and other stamps may be effectually destroyed, canceled and rendered worthless for further use.

Great loss is sustained by the Government in the repeated use of stamps which have not been sufficiently canceled, and which, being removed from the envelop or paper are cleaned of the cancellation mark by acid treatment or otherwise.

It is therefore a further object of the invention to render the above unlawful practice impossible, as the use of my stamp not only obliterates the once used postage stamp with ink, but tears out from the stamp itself a portionthereof, so mutilating and defacing it that it cannot possibly be restored and reused.

A still further object of my invention contemplates the provision of means for so mounting the perforator of the'canceling stamp as to permit vertical adjustment or movement thereof, this provision, permitting stamps when applied to packages or wrappers having an uneven surface to be effectually canceled and destroyed, as the movement of the canceling element or perforator allows the same to follow or automatically adjust itself to the outline of the article or package acted upon. I

The above and additional objects are accomplished by such means as are illustrated in their preferred embodiment in the accompanying drawings, described in the following specification and then more particularly pointed out in the claims which are appended hereto and form a part of this application. 0

In describing my inventlon 1n detail reference will be had to the accompanying drawings wherein like characters denote like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which Figure l is an elevation of a canceling stamp constructed in accordance with my invention; Fig.2 is a longitudinal sectional the numeral 12 provided therefor.

view of the stamp; Fig. 3 is an inverted plan view; Fig. 4 is a top plan view'of the lower stamp section, several of the parts or embodiments being shown in section; Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail elevation,partly in section, of one of the perforators; and Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view of forators.

Referring now to the drawings, wherein is illustrated the preferred form of my invention the numeral 1 designates the handle of the canceling stamp having a vertically extending centrally disposed bore 2 formed therein extending throughout the major portion of the length thereof, the said bore being provided for the reception of a stem 3 formed integrally with and projecting centrally from the stationary or lower section 4:

of the device. The handle 1 is seated or fix: edly secured within an opening 5 extending vertically through the movable or upper secone of the per-- to the slot 8 of the stem, limiting the verti-- I cal movement of the movable section 6 of the stamp. To support the movable section inuniform spaced relation to the stationary section 4: of the stamp an expansion spring 9 is interposedbetween the upper extremity of the stem 3 and the closed end of the handle 1, this arrangement being shown to advantage in Fig. 2 of the drawings.

The lower or stationary stamp section t comprises a base plate 10 which is secured to'the body of the said section 4 by means of a screw 11 extending therethrough, and further through the medium of the several perforators designated in their entirety by The perforators 12 include a spirally slotted cuff or sleeve 13, the slot extending from the upper extremity of the sleeve to a point about midway the length thereof within which a transverselyextending pin llworks, the said pin being seated or embedded within the movable section 6 of the stamp and within vertically extending bores or openings 15 formed therein into which the sleeves 13 P oj c An u ard y d ed nu ar flange 16 is formed integrally with the sleeve 13 of the perforator, the flange being seated within an annular recess 17 of a boxing or bearing 18, ball-bearings 19 being interposed between the lower face of the flange 16 and the upper face of one of the bearing parts 20, this arrangement of the sleeve 13 permitting the same to rotate freely Within the bearing 18 provided therefor in a manner to be hereinafter fully described. The bearings 18 are seated or fixedly secured within a recess 21 formed within the stationary section 4 of the device and are normally forced into engagement with the lower face or bottom of the recess by means of springs 22 embracing the sleeve 13, the extremities of the spring abutting the" upper face of the recess 21 and the top of the bearing 18. leeth 23 are formed upon the lower extremity of the sleeves 13, the teeth adapted to bite, tear and destroy the postage, revenue or other stamp acted upon by the perforator.

A guide pin 24 is seated within the stationary section 4, the said pin projecting into an opening or bore formed within the movable section 6, thereby preventing lateral movement of the one section independent of the other. An obliterator 26 of the ordinary type is secured in any suitable manner upon the under face of the base portion 10 of the stationary section 4, the purpose of which is obvious.

Having described fully the detail construction and arrangement of the several parts comprising my invention, it now remains to set forth a little more fully, the operation thereof. l/Vhen it is desired that used postage or revenue stamps should be canceled in a manner to render the fraudulent reuse thereof impossible, the device comprising my invention is arranged thereover with the teeth 23 of the perforator engaging the stamps to be acted upon, whereupon downward pressure upon the handle 1 will cause the sleeve 13 to revolve by reason of its engagement with the transverse pin which extends through the spiral slot formed therein, the ball-bearings l9 facilitating the rotation of the sleeve during the movement of the upper or movable section 6 of the device. As the handle 1 is forced downwardly, the spring 9 is compressed and the pin 7 forced toward the top of the slot 8 provided therefor, and the guide pin 2% and the sleeve 18, moving within the bores 25 and 15 provided respectively for each of the said elements. The engagement between the teeth 23 of the perforator and the stamp acted upon will cause the latter to be torn and mutilated to such an extent as to render a reuse thereof impossible, after which the removal of the pressure upon the handle 1 the springs 9 and 22 will return the movable section 6 to its normal position ready for a second. canceling operation. By adjustably mounting the perforators 12 as above described, it will be seen that the teeth 23 will automatically adjust themselves upon an uneven surface should the stamp acted upon be applied to a bulky 0r ungainly package. c

It will be seen from the above, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings that the entire canceling operation is controlled by the movement of the handle 1; that the obliterator 26 maybe first forced upon the stamp and the perforators 12 thereafter, thereby not only obliterating the stamp with ink but also tearing and mutilating the same to a material extent; and that the provision of the pins 14: disposed as they are to extend transversely of the spirally formed slot Within the sleeve 13 will cause the perforators to revolve or rotate during the operation of the device.

In reduction to practice, I have found that the form of my invention, illustrated in the drawings and referred to in the above description, as the preferred embodiment, is the most ellicient and practical; yet realizing that the'conditions concurrent with the adoption of my device will necessarily vary, I desire to emphasize the fact that various minor changes in details of construction, proportion and arrangement of parts may be resorted to, when required, without sacrificing any of the advantages of my inven tion, as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is a 1. In combination with a stamp for canceling purposes comprising a stationary sec tion and a movable section, a perforator including a sleeve rotatable Within said stationary section, a portion of said sleeve adapted to project into an opening provided therefor within said movable section, means carried by said movable section for imparting rotary movement to said sleeve, a bearing block stationary with respect to said stationary section through which the said sleeve extends, a flange formed integral with said sleeve intermediate its ends, bearings disposed for engagement with the respective faces of said flange to facilitate the rotation of said sleeve, and spring means arranged to embrace said sleeve, said means being disposed in engagement with said bearing block, as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In combination with a canceling stamp comprising a stationary section and a movable section, a perforator therefor including a sleeve, means for rotating said sleeve by movement of said movable section, sectional bearing-blocks disposed within a recess formed in said stationary section, a flange formed upon said sleeve, said flange being seated within a recess formed within one of said bearing block sections, bearing-balls disposed in engagement With the respective faces of said flange, said balls being disposed Within the said block recess, and a spring arranged to embrace the said sleeve, the said spring being adapted to respectively abut the said bearingblock and the by said movable section for imparting rotary movement to said perforator, a bearing block, bearings Within said block and engageable with the perforator to facilitate rotation thereof, and spring means arranged to embrace the perforator, said means being engageable With the bearing block, as and for the purpose set forth.

4. A canceling stamp including a stationary section, a stem projecting from the upper face thereof, a movable section having a handle secured thereto, the said handle being provided With a vertically extending bore for the reception of the said stem, a

pin extending transversely through an opening formed Within the said stem for limiting the movement of the said movable section, perforators including spirally slotted sleeves carried by the said stationary section adapted to project into openings formed Within the said movable section, pins eX- tending transversely through the slots of the said sleeves for imparting rotary motion thereto during the movement of the said movable section, an annular flange formed integrally with the said sleeve near the base thereof, bearings arranged Within thevsaid stationary section adapted to engage one face of the said flange, springs embracing the said sleeves for forcing one extremity thereof beyond the loWer face of the said stationary section, teeth formed upon the said sleeves at the lower end thereof, and means for locking the movable section against lateral movement independent of the said stationary section, as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony Whereof I affix my signature in presence of tWo Witnesses.

ROBERT E. WALL.

Witnesses: L. E. WooDWARD,

E. G. H. BOYKIN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

